Christina Perazio co-authors article in ‘Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology’

Former psychobiology student Christina Perazio (PBO ’11) co-authored an article that was recently published in the September issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. The article, "I know you: familiarity with an audience influences male-male interactions in Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens," is collaboration with Associate Professor of psychology, Teresa Dzieweczynski.

This study determined that, in Siamese fighting fish, male-male interactions in the presence of an audience fish differed based on whether or not the interacting individuals had been previously exposed to that audience fish. In addition, this effect differed as a result of the sex of the audience fish.

This work is the first to examine how a prior encounter with an audience affects communication within a network of individuals and emphasizes the importance of examining individual identity and the context in which interactions occur to gain a more accurate understanding of how communication works.

Christina is currently starting her second year as a Ph.D. student at the University of Southern Mississippi where she is researching communication in bottlenose dolphins.
 

51С»Æ³µ the University of 51С»Æ³µ

The University of 51С»Æ³µ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.